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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
2-27-2012 @ 12:12AM
Nyold said...
I think the intention of the hybrid tier is in oh-s* scenarios where, for example, the tank dies and another druid must be able to step in and tank him while he's being brezzed. Why can't he be brezzed right away? Because in encounters like Thaddius, you need to wait until it's the right time otherwise the rezzed tank would just die again.
I hope it's not part of the "encounter design" to require an extra 0.5 healer very predictably, say chimaeron. If it's preplanned like that, then a druid dps is gonna be favored over any other dps for that phase, or a druid healer is gonna be favored over any other healer because he can help with dps (for example, Hagara / spine where burst dps is needed on a regular, predictable basis).
One way to counter this mandatory class stacking is that the encounter itself can be designed so that when the burst dps is required, the healing requirement is stepped up (maybe through an intense damage aura during that phase).
Bottom line, I seriously hope that the balancing and intended usage of this hybridization is to step in when things don't go as planned, and this is one of those things that will distinguish great druids from good druids, in that they're able to quickly identify the need when it arises, shapeshift, have their action bars in order and quickly perform that role. I hope it's not something that the raid have to take into account during the planning / min-maxing part, because then it'll be "required"
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2-27-2012 @ 6:51AM
stupidhero said...
Thaddius is the only encounter where this may apply. In all other cases you're better of to brez right away and have the DD on top use his defensive cd's. (evasion, iceblock/cauterize etc.). And for all those two tank encounters it's usually no problem at all.
Leaves exactly the second scenario you describes for HotW - at which point HotW becomes overpowered or right unusable, if you want to stop it from being a requirement.
2-27-2012 @ 9:45AM
Nyold said...
come to think of it, some other classes also gained temporary tanking abilities, like Warlock demon form. It even comes with 6% crit immunity.
So, what I said above notwithstanding, I can see that they're actually designing encounters where you need 2.5 tanks or 6.5 healers or what not, where there are phases where dps don't matter but healing is. I won't be surprised if the unrevealed last tier of shaman talents is geared towards making dps heal or healers dps effectively for a few seconds.